Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Connor McDavid put on a show against the Flames

Calgary Flames v Edmonton Oilers

EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 12: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers scores on goalie Brian Elliott #1 of the Calgary Flames on October 12, 2016 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)

Getty Images

It was a big night in Edmonton as the Oilers were not only opening their brand new building, but it was also the first game in the Connor McDavid-as-captain era.

Things started off quite well for them with the Oilers cruising to a 7-4 win that featured 2016 first-round draft pick Jesse Puljujarvi scoring his first career goal in the win and defenseman Kris Russell picking up a couple of points just days after being signed.

But the real star of the night, naturally, was McDavid who contributed three points in the win, including a pair of goals.

His first goal of the night came on a bad angle shot off of a rebound to give the Oilers a 4-3 lead in the second period. It was a big goal at the time not only because it gave his team the lead, but also because it came just minutes after the Oilers had given up two shorthanded goals on the same power play to allow Calgary to tie the game.

His second goal was the real highlight reel play.

Just moments after Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau could not earn a call from the officials, McDavid was awarded a penalty shot at the other end of the ice on what can probably be described as a rather favorable call for the Oilers. McDavid did not waste the opportunity.

It was also that kind of night for Flames goalie Brian Elliott who allowed six goals in his debut for the team. Some of them were ugly goals. But this one he pretty much had no chance.

All of that came after he took a couple of hits in the first period and briefly returned to the locker room. Following a fall into the boards, thanks to a collision with Deryk Engelland, his new teammate and linemate Milan Lucic came to his defense.

Expectations are through the roof for McDavid this season and there is a real belief that he could end up leading the league in scoring. Because of injury he only played in 45 games in his rookie season but still managed 48 points and was third in the NHL in points per game (1.07). Among players that played in at least 40 games, he was one of only eight that averaged at least a point per game.